1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an end termination for a tension leg of non-metallic materials like composite material, which tension leg is constructed of a number of strands that constitute the load carrying elements of the tension leg, which strands are twisted (laid) about the longitudinal axis of the tension leg by a predetermined laying length and in turn each strand is constructed of a plurality of rods of composite material having embedded strength fibres, the rods are in turn twisted about each other like in a wire rope, and the strands terminate into a receiving body having connecting means and a number of through-going apertures that receive and form fixing points for the respective strands.
2. Description of Background Art
Tension legs of the above described nature are known from NO 20002812. An end termination is known from NO 20002811.
The end termination according to the invention is in particular developed in view of tension legs that anchor a tension leg platform. Other uses, however, are also of interest, i.e. vertical stays of suspension bridges and similar stays that need to be able to transfer heavy axial forces/loads.
The advantages with tension legs of composite material is low weight, great load carrying capacity in regard of weight/volume, substantially less prone to fatigue, which means that there is no need for bending restrictors, in addition to being very competitive regarding price/cost. Moreover they have the excellent quality of being able to be coiled onto reels having a diameter down to 4 meters.
Tension legs of steel find their limitation in regard of longitudinal extension, i.e. depths of the ocean, because tension legs are designed as tubulars or pipes in order to reduce the weight in water, preferably so that the tension legs become next to “weightless” when submerged in water. At greater depths it is necessary to increase the wall thickness to avoid buckling due to the external water pressure.